Seoul, 2018 – Food & Shopping

Here are some great places to eat and shop that I enjoyed throughout the trip, that I would recommend to anyone who is planning on visiting Seoul.

A Flower Blossoms on the Rice

A Flower Blossoms on the Rice, which was featured on the Monocle Guide, was one of the places I was most looking forward to visit. Located in the traditional Insadong district, they serve traditional Korean food made with organic ingredients.

Ilci + Baekmidang

Two friends from the university, who always know the best spots in town, took us to Ilci. Ilci is an upscale Italian-Korean fusion restaurant in Nonhyeondong, and the experience was simply amazing. Everything we ordered, from the abalone risotto to the garlic pasta, tasted superb. After Ilci, we went to Baekmidang, which is also in the same building and ran by the same company that runs Ilci. Baekmidang, which serves amazing ice cream made with organic milk, has great coffee as well, freshly brewed with organic beans.

Monami Curry

Monami Curry, located in Yongsan, is famous for its half-half curry, which got famous on Instagram. We ordered the half-half curry and the curry oil pasta, and they both tasted pretty good and the place is very resonably priced.

Sobang Life

Sobang Life is a small place in Seongsu that serves hearty Korean food with seasonal herbs and vegetables. I particularly enjoyed the wild vegetable bibimbap, especially since it’s something you can’t easily get outside of Korea.

Vatos Urban Tacos

Every year, I make sure I go to Vatos at least once. I think Korean-Mexican fusion food is one of the best things that exists and Vatos does it really, really well. Located in the Itaewon district, they’re famous for their kimchi carnitas fries and a wide range of Tex-Mex food.

Queenmama Market

Queenmama in Sinsadong is a lifestyle shop with carefully curated selection of items inside an amazing open space. You can find everything from plants, gardening equipment, clothes, accessories, stationary, to beauty products.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)

DDP is not only architecturally stunning, but is also a good place to browse goods made by Korean artists and designers. Throughout the year, they have a wide collection of items, both traditional and contemporary, like the porcelain pieces pictured above.

MMMG + D&D Department Seoul

MMMG, short for millimeter milligram, is a design studio in Korea that started designing smaller things like stationary and expanded to bigger things like furniture. They’re committed to sustainability, which is why they focus on promoting ‘upcycling’ and ‘long life design’. They started running D&D Department, a store from Japan that focuses on long life design, in 2013. Both stores are situated inside the same building in Hannamdong.